Endless Requital
by Lost Anthology
Summary: Taking place one year after the events of Naruto versus Pain/Nagato and the destruction of Konoha, Sasuke's plans against Konoha are now coming together. Alongside this, the Raikage also wants his revenge, Yet Madara has plans in store for the world.
1. Clouds That Foreshadow Darkness

_Naruto: Endless Requital_

_Chapitre One:__ Clouds That Foreshadow Darkness_

_Written by: Lost Anthology_

Current Location: The Raikage's Office, Kumogakure no Sato

Current Time: Into the evening; 07:24 p.m.

At the present time, the Raikage was not in any mood for jokes. To be perfectly honest, he had not heralded such a mood for what was estimated to have been near a year now. More accurately speaking; since the realization that his brother had almost been captured at the hands of Akatsuki. Even since coming to acknowledge the fact that his brother was in fact safe, the Raikage's anger was not so simple to quell. The attempt on the life of Kirābī itself was a barbaric act; an unforgivable one at that, and the ones who had attempted to carry out such an attempt would come to suffer. He was of course speaking of one Uchiha Sasuke and Akatsuki.

The mere thought of the name triggered a snarl that ravished from the mouth of the Kage as he stared from the window of his office; Kumogakure no Sato loomed 'peacefully' underneath his hate-filled eyes as he pressed the palm of his hand against the glass. He had taken it upon himself to want to put this Uchiha in his place… to his death and had demanded a meeting of the five Kage. However, such was not permitted at the moment for even after the year of time that had slowly – in his opinion – rolled by, Konohagakure no Sato had yet to fully recover from the attack, Akatsuki had left upon it.

A rather devastating assault it had been too, as Raikage had sent his most prominent team to declare his demand. Their return had conveyed nothing but shock, even upon the stoic face of Samui, the leader of the three-man cell. Almost that alone, was enough for the Raikage to wait. Despite the past issues that Konohagakure held with the village in the Land of Lightning, he believed their hatred for Akatsuki would be just as strong… perhaps even more, than his own. His brother had escaped, fairly unscathed from the encounter with Uchiha; despite Kirābī's drawn out storytelling of the Uchiha and his comrades, unique skills. Konoha had not been so fortunate; their entire village, practically destroyed by the attack. Having come to hear such news, the Raikage had almost considered the idea of invasion; such a time as this would practically guarantee Kumogakure's victory.

Yet, his sureness was not one hundred percent. If such damage had been done, and still Akatsuki failed... it surely meant there was a force to be reckoned with. That thought along with the acceptance that even if Konoha and Kumogakure had not held a treaty with one another, they were still on friendly terms, kept the Raikage in the Land of Lightning. He was uncertain of what power had brought an end to the attack on the Land of Fire's most prominent village – though the Nine Tailed Fox had crossed his mind – but until he could be brought up to speed, there would be no attempts towards the village again.

It was complicated and frustrating then to simply stand here in mute silence and have nothing going his way. No leads upon Akatsuki in four months and the meeting prolonged; the Raikage needed results before he grew irrational. And as if granting his wish, his head turned slightly to gaze at the now three figures, which knelt before his desk. Staring at them, he could not help but slightly feel himself relax as his still hard gaze wandered upon them.

The group known as Team Samui glanced up at the Raikage as he turned to face them fully. For a moment there was silence as none spoke, despite the unusual odd look that came over one of the team members; lollipop in his mouth, the shinobi known as Omoi frowned slightly as he stood and turned his attention past the Raikage and outside towards the village.

"You're not going to scold us again, are you?" He allowed his hand to rub the back of his neck as Omoi watched the Raikage bemusedly.

Before he could even give remark however, the kunoichi beside him rose; an incredulous look of annoyance on her face as she glared at him. "After a year of coming up with practically nothing, I think he's had plenty of time to grow tired of that option. Stop being such a pain in the ass, with your jumping to conclusions." It seemed to be starting once again in the same usual fashion: Omoi would negatively jump to an unusual and pointless conclusion and then Karui would grow annoyed and bring about an argument that was all together, unnecessary.

For the leader of the three-man group, Samui did not say anything but simply watch her Raikage as he seemed to grow slightly tense once more with the argument that had now began. It had begun with Omoi's comment but now it seemed to be taking an entirely different direction involving the flat-chest that Karui should have been ashamed of in the shinobi's opinion. Standing up rather slowly, Samui's hand reached towards her shoulder blade as a sigh escaped her. It was beyond her why she always held such pains at the most inconvenient of times, yet she made no verbal complaint as her eyes closed in compliance to the pain. Maybe Omoi had been right though; were her breast too big?

"Silence, now!" The Raikage's voice had certainly brought about just what his words commanded as Omoi seemed to slump back into a crouched position, while Karui turned to face him almost as though in a military at-ease, though she was simply teasing as she suddenly relaxed, and smiled slightly. Even being aware of the feuding Nin's skill, there could not help but be some question towards how Kirābī had brought them up as his students. Of course his brother was not so much different in terms of audibility… perhaps he was the source to it all, to begin with.

Setting the matter aside however, his eyes glanced towards Omoi, who did not meet his gaze, and then towards Samui. The shinobi's question played through his mind again, before his fists clenched and rested upon his desk. "You've returned with still nothing?" His tone was not threatening, but there was certainly anger. He had plenty of reason to be such; Akatsuki had evaded him for the better part of a year now. With the exception of the brisk encounter that had occurred only due to Uchiha Sasuke's wanting it seemed, there was nothing.

Seemingly agreeing with the Raikage's thoughts, Samui shook her head. "Our only encounter remains to be that in which the target, Uchiha Sasuke, confronted Karui, while she was alone." Karui frowned as she glared towards the ground; the moment had not been all that of a proud one from her point of view:

_It had begun as nothing more than reconnaissance for Karui as the three-man team split in the surrounding mountains of Kumogakure. Despite their six months of failure, there had not been an ounce of give in the kunoichi as she steadily pushed herself forward. By first appearance, she would not appear to be much of a kunoichi, yet she was rather crafty when need be. Intelligence was not exactly her forte, but she managed and her knowledge of the surrounding land made her a force to be reckoned with – in her opinion, at least –. _

_The Land of Lightning was not necessarily known for its luscious forests; there was simply mountain ranges and occasionally open desert, and so it did not make it too difficult for Karui to maneuver herself in position on her designated path. She was traveling east to north where she would meet with Omoi who was coming from the west. Samui was would start south and spread out in both directions, leaving nothing behind; she was leader of this group after all. Karui said nothing of it as her feet touched the meek branches of a tree that bent slightly under her weight before rebounding an inch._

'_Nothing unusual', she had thought to herself as she halted and came to a halt as she landed within a crouch upon the ground. The scant number of trees did well to cover her as a sigh of annoyance escaped her. This Uchiha Sasuke was more than she had expected; even when she had learned that Kirābī-sensei actually found a number of difficulties within the teen, she had not completely taken those words to heart. Believing her master to have gone easy on the boy and his comrades was what she had decided upon, but he had even spoken of reverting to unleashing the Eight Tails full transformation. And then having to use one of the tails as a means for escape… it did not sit well with her. She had to find this rogue shinobi… Uchiha Sasuke._

_Finding no reason to stay in this spot any longer, Karui took off once again. The area where Kirābī-sensei and Sasuke's team had done battle was within her direction. Despite having searched over the spot numerous times, there could come no harm from doing so again. It was perhaps the frustration that made her want to do this; the need to find something, anything that would lead to the capture. She exited the small fray of trees before the lake came into view. The looming Cliffside that stood beside it caught her attention only for a moment, before she stopped before the edge of clear liquid. She stared for a moment, as if trying to see something that was not there. Hoping to see something that she had missed and in that very instant, she found it._

_Better yet, she found him as his reflection shone like a mirror. For a moment, Karui believed it to be nothing more than a hallucination but it did not stop the kunoichi from glancing up at the top of the cliff, and finding the Nin enshrouded in the Akatsuki cloak, that flowed effervescently in the wind. Their eyes met for the briefest of seconds before Karui had seemingly vanished from her spot by the lake. _

_Sasuke had not moved once before feeling the cold metal of a tanto pressed against his throat. His eyes continuously glancing into the tranquil lake; something he was only seeing for the first time before his head lifted slightly to better accommodate Karui. She did not hesitate to press the blade deeper against his throat._

"_Why? Why did you attack Kirābī-sensei?" Her voice emitted in a low growl. She was struggling to keep herself from slitting his throat here and now. The Raikage wished for Uchiha to be brought to him alive, however. Frustration was truly overwhelming in this instance. It did not help in the least, that Sasuke said nothing to her question._

"_What does Akatsuki want with the Eight Tails and it's host?" Karui urged on, yet minutes passed on in silence. She snarled as her head hung at the humiliation this was presenting her. She was not doing a competent job at keeping her composure, but this was not a matter she was willing to fool around with. Uchiha Sasuke could not be allowed to be something she could fool around with. Despite realizing her orders, she pressed the tanto more firmly against his throat, before dragging it across and exposing the open gash for the blood to rush escape him. Instead however, there was only a cloud of smoke as the clone disappeared into nothingness, leaving a stunned Karui to stare at where it had once been._

"_What was he to you?" His voice came from behind her and she whirled around quickly to see his expressionless face; his eyes that were unreadable gazed at her as she simply held up the tanto in a defensive manner. He did nothing however, before his eyes lingered down to the pool of water below. "Answer the question."_

_Karui could do nothing but stare at him quizzically. Why was he asking such a question to begin with? What did it matter what Kirābī-sensei was to her? A look of defiance spread across her face; it was definitely in her to retaliate and say something rebuking but the chance never came. Perhaps he had seen it coming as well, and so he had taken it upon himself to silence her. _

"_WHAT THE HELL DOES IT MATTER WHAT HE–" She hardly had time to register his index and middle finger tapping her upon her brow as he walked past her and towards the edge. Her reaction was far more than shock; she did not understand in the least what had happened, but she felt the trickle of blood flow from her nose as she fell backwards and stared out in front of her._

"_You have no reason to look for me if the Eight Tails is safely within your possession… if we cross paths again, I'll kill you." His words had struck her deeply as she turned around to see him there, no longer. At that very moment, her breathing grew erratic and it was a short while before Samui and Omoi found her._

No one in the Raikage's office wished to recall that sight; the Raikage himself had not been there to witness the state the Uchiha had left Karui in, but he wished he had been. He wished he could have seen the trauma that spread through her body from his final words. He needed to see such a thing; it would have strengthened his resolve. It would have made his desire all the more justifiable, not that it wasn't already. Even after hearing the events told to him at least four times, it served as a reminder. It was that Kekkei Genkai the Uchiha Clan, which had done this to his kunoichi. The Sharingan was the cause for the assault on Kirābī; otherwise he would not have been surprised as he was.

By now, the Raikage was sitting in his seat, hands intertwined and his chin resting atop them. It was hard to remain calm, but assessment of the situation was at hand. He was not completely incompetent as to allow his rage to completely rule him. No. He had had an entire year to allow his rage to take command of him and with that recent memory brought up, it only served as a reminder of what was to be done. That event had taken place four months ago and Karui had recovered, almost as if the encounter had never occurred.

Samui knew better however. Being the leader of their group, she had watched over Karui since the meeting with the Uchiha. Whatever it was, he had done to her, and he had done it well enough to possibly permanently damage her. It was either that or go along with Karui's description that his 'intent to kill' was greater than anything she had ever felt. To the point where she constantly felt nauseated at the mention of it, until recently. As far as Karui knew, she was practically herself again; arguing with Omoi and being the excellent kunoichi that her Raikage required.

"We cannot take him lightly, Raikage-sama," Karui spoke up. Omoi's gaze turned upwards towards her as he sighed and closed his eyes. Sucking on his lollipop for a moment, he stood up once again before shaking his head.

"Didn't we already know that, from his battle against Kirābī-sensei? If anything, your encounter proves how weak your dumbass is." An exasperated sigh, followed by retaliation on Karui's part and the argument continued where it left off, leaving Samui and the Raikage in a state of growing annoyance.

After a few moments, another "Silence!" was issued before the room became quiet once more. All three Nin's gazes turned towards the Raikage as he rose from his chair and glanced out at the night sky. "If Uchiha Sasuke is capable of such feats, we might indeed have a problem. How such a insolent child could possess such power in the world is what I would like to figure out, yet if he is as dangerous as we have truly come to suspect, then this matter will be left to me or Kirābī once he returns." There was an immediate protest from Karui but her voice was drowned out underneath the destruction of the Raikage's desk… for a second time now. His fist rose, covered in splinters, as he worked to calm his breathing.

"I will NOT have some pup challenge my village. Kumogakure no Sato is a village to revere. Not a village to be beaten by a child who believes he will take over the world." The three Nin stood in silence, watching their Raikage before his hand called for them to disperse. They bowed before exiting the room and leaving their leader to stand over the remains of his frustration. He sighed vehemently as he fell back into his chair and turned towards the window.

Within a moment however, his eyes had grown wide and wild with horror. He had looked out the window only moments ago to see the starry sky that loomed overhead of his village, yet now… Clouds. Dark, black clouds covered the entirety of the sky. It was not simply coincidence… how could something like this be? There was an unsettling feeling welling up within him as he made to get out of his seat. Darkness was approaching his village… tragedy… but in what form, would it arrive? And when?

* * *

:: Author's Note :: Well… here it is. My first fan fiction and if it isn't noticeable yet, it will come to revolve around Sasuke. I realize that I definitely might have played the Ninja of Kumogakure, completely out of character, but I hope it turned out moderately decent. Anyways, as you can see, there's already a lot in store for the Raikage and his village and Sasuke's made his warning quite clear, I think.

Now that my lackluster message is through, I'll get to work on the next Chapitre. It'll be an interesting turn of events I think at how the story changes its flow, sort of say. Since there's quite a lot of questions left unanswered about Konoha, this will be the opening Chapitre for how their progression and rebuilding is going. You'll also see who I've decided to kill off (yes I might have killed off someone extra) and what's currently what. See you in a week's time. Hopefully. ^^


	2. The Revival of the Leaf

:: Disclaimer :: I realize I didn't state this in the first chapter, but I do not own Naruto.

I wish I did… but I do not. However, I do own the various characters of my creation that may appear.

Yeah, you copyright guys have nothing on that, do ya? lol

* * *

_Naruto: Endless Requital_

_Chapitre Two:__ The Revival of the Leaf_

_Written by: Lost Anthology_

Konohagakure no Sato… The Village Hidden Within Leaves. One year since the Invasion of Pain, the village has pushed itself forward in an attempt to gain that which was lost. The effect of Pain and the technique known as Shinra Tensei was not a tragedy that could be forgotten; the scar that had been left from its large scale of destruction remained in the Land of Fire. It was not that it could not be removed, but that the village did not wish for it to.

It was a symbol; a symbol not only to themselves but to those who wished to stand and wage war against the village within the Land of Fire. It was hard growing accustomed to that way of thinking, however. Many considered the crater, a scar of humiliation and weakness. Preferred to believe it as a sign that anyone could trample upon the grounds of Konohagakure with ease if they so chose to. Yet when it came down to it, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade had declared it would remain.

By her assessment, both opinions were correct. It would serve to show that Konoha could overcome the grief that would plague their village and yet at the same time, it showed that Konoha was vulnerable and careless enough to allow such an attack. Though no other Kage faulted the nation entirely considering the overwhelming strength of Akatsuki, it remained true that Konoha was now in a time where nothing would be overlooked and no time would be wasted. Admitting such was a strong declaration. The revival of the leaf was at hand, and was proceeding excellently over the course of the year.

One day before the year became official and men and women were hard at work. Buildings were being reconstructed, while at the same time, commemoration was being prepared. Perhaps some would have found it pitiful to commemorate the fall of Konoha, yet this was also a time for remembrance. The many lives that fell that day were still a painful blow towards the people and even the Council of Elders had deemed it appropriate to come together for such an honorable event. Not one life would be forgotten; all bodies having been taken into account as best as possible, the ceremony would finalize Konohagkure's rise from the ashes and allow them to return to a point of tranquility that had been lost for quite some time.

For some however, peace would not come so easily. Speaking primarily of the Fifth Hokage and her duties, there was still much to attend to. Akatsuki, Kumogakure's Raikage calling for a meeting of the Five Kage and proper organization of Konoha's forces and nin, for a more appropriate readiness on incoming information from their allying villages. Something she was far from pleased to admit to was the fact that her usage of releasing the seal upon her forehead had taken a more drastic toll on her, than she could have previously anticipated.

Wrinkles had begun to form upon her face, though not enough to catch the wandering glances of those who surrounded her. To most, (mainly children and normal civilians) it was simply age, catching up with her. Unbeknownst to many however, this meant one inevitable thing: a replacement to the title of Hokage would need to be declared soon.

Within her heart, she had already felt her choice was made yet; it would not come so easily as simply relying on something like that. Such a decision would certainly not stand well within the circle of the Council of Elders, at least without significant reason and ample backing from the entirety of the village. Perhaps the Council knew this for they had chosen that particular time to interrupt her daily procedure of… doing almost nothing in the midst of tons of work. Tsunade smiled slightly before, turning her head towards the door as it opened…

Current Location: Hokage Monument

Current Time: Midday 12:00 p.m.

There was a slight sigh as blue eyes vanished behind eyelids; there was a feeling of nostalgia as Naruto looked over the village with a serenity that almost seemed too unreal to be surrounding him. He could not find himself understanding why he came to stand up here so often; knowing perfectly well that he was defacing the Hokage Monument, did not seem to deter him however as his eyes opened again and he looked out towards the village that was slowly revitalizing itself.

Since the approaching day of the Commemoration of the Departed, there had been quite a lot on his mind. More than he particularly cared to admit, even to himself. More precisely, his mind continued to wander among the many faces that appeared throughout his head. He hardly knew where to begin as faces of those that would be remembered tomorrow flashed through his mind. His hindsight stopped particularly on the medical kunoichi, Shizune. He had reacted rather horribly when he learned of her death; she had held so much faith in him… taken care of him and genuinely believed in him that the revelation that Pain had stolen her soul, shook him to an unfathomable point for a time being. He had heard Nagato's story, that fateful day and he the events that followed were Naruto's decision and not something he could take back. He had done what he believed was right, but his hatred was nevertheless still there when it came to the scar left in his heart, by his friend's absence.

Her peaceful face faded and was replaced by the lavender eyed Hinata. A slight smile spread over his face, as he thought about her; not dead of course. Her shocking confession was perhaps the most confusing for Naruto to understand, though that was simply because relationships and such feelings were not entirely something he was a genius on. Sure he had held that crush upon Sakura years ago and there were even times when he thought he felt something, but recently, he could not find it within himself to truly comprehend the word 'love'.

_It was a couple weeks before he could even confront Hinata on that moment, yet she was not as shy as she used to be; she seemed to be waiting for what she believed would be an inevitable heartbreak. Naruto couldn't understand why she always seemed so hard on herself; the mere look upon her face made the ninja smile slightly before he had closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. He felt her shiver at his touch, yet did not let go; if it was uncomfortable for her, she could push him away and run. Though he had no idea how he would react to that, he was happy to know that he wouldn't have to think about it as her shivering ceased and her body rested against him. To be honest, he could not be sure what he felt for her; he had no intentions of blindly confessing that he loved her or simply rejecting her either. Of course not. _

_If training in Myobokuzan had granted him anything, it had surely made him a more wise and perceptive individual when he wanted to be. So her shock did not end there as Naruto had quietly asked her to wait for his answer. "I know you've waited… more than you should have been made to, but will you wait a little longer, Hinata?" He had said those words, quietly and only so she could hear. He knew that it would be asking much of her, but deep down, Naruto knew that he would not ask such a thing… would not make her suffer unless he believed that he could return those feelings towards her. It was not a simple thing to ask, but he wanted her to wait until such a time where he could fully give her all his heart, like she had done._

_That was not primarily what had shocked Hinata, however. Throughout her mind, she had repeatedly recounted his words during their embrace. He had not said no and that was enough to want to make her wait an eternity. It was a surprise to both when she finally found herself able to wrap her arms around his torso; fortunately her reddened face was buried in his shoulder as she nodded. He was pleased with that and after a moment, they separated from one another and, there was something about the way she had looked –the smile of happiness and relief that had come from hearing his words– that made Naruto wish and want to always bring that to her. _

It was one of his pleasant memories as the image of her faded from his mind and was thus replaced by… He grimaced slightly, before a smile at that very action replaced it. He could not blame himself for the act against Sasuke's face and immediately, he felt the solution to that problem as his eyes stared down and were filled by the entirety of the village. Arms crossed over his chest, he could not help but feel a weight lifted slightly from his shoulders, as the idea of setting Sasuke aside for the moment did not make him feel as horrible as he believed it would be.

_It's the best _option, he told himself as his Sage form became noticeable in his facial features. He could not afford to chase after Sasuke while the village was so considerably vulnerable. The lives of many versus the life of his best friend and there was no particular way for Naruto to save them both at the same time. Recalling the visit of the three man cell from Kumogakure no Sato, Naruto had a slight bit of concern when hearing that Sasuke had captured the Eight Tails Beast and that as a result, Kumogakure would make it their job to dispose of him, yet Tsunade had declared that since such could not be brought up in a formal manner between the five Kage, that would be forbidden for the time being. Despite that, Naruto highly doubted that Kumogakure would have stuck by the Hokage's words; they would certainly have continued their search throughout this year, yet since no news had come –as he believed it would if Sasuke had been killed– Naruto could only presume, Sasuke was still alive and that was enough for him.

The horizontal slit-pupils in Naruto's eyes moved a fraction as he turned to acknowledge the familiar presence that had decided to grace him with their presence. Grinning, he sat himself into a lotus-style to better accommodate himself. "I'm a bit surprised to see you here. Am I lucky or has something occurred, Shima-sensei?"

The elder frog gave a slight smirk as she shook her head and gazed out at the lush forest, which was once again beginning to grace Konoha's presence. "This old frog gets lonely these days, Naruto. You know that. Without that old sage Jiraiya and Pa (Fukasaku), what more does one like me really have, besides my final student?" She finally turned to meet his gaze before settling herself down beside him. "Besides, I was under the impression that you were waiting for a bit of company. Would you rob one such as me of this moment before readying yourself for the day ahead?"

Naruto had to hand it to the elder frog as he shook his head in slight amazement. Perceptiveness seemed to run through this species, which was more than he could have said he would have expected years ago. He now saw more than significant meaning in why Jiraiya and his father had both chosen Toads as their summoning companions. "Of course I wouldn't. You know I'm around whenever you need me."

Shima nodded. She did indeed know that; it was quite marvelous really, but that was just the individual Naruto had come to be. Someone you could indefinitely rely upon. "Konoha will be more marvelous than even before once everything is completed. It is quite the spectacular revival, really."

"Like Bushy Brows always says, 'the Lotus blooms twice.' The entirety of Konoha will be the lotus this time, though. We'll be more magnificent and powerful than we ever were." Saying such a thing, Naruto couldn't help but laugh as he leaned back on his hands, and felt himself grow warm at his unusual sentiment. He had never really been one to say such things, but then again, he was rather unpredictable. He was continuously changing as people had told him. He was growing more mature with every waking experience it seemed and this simply happened to be an experience that was showing the world in a new light, for the young Sage.

Shima seemed to agree as she watched him, curiously. There was something to marvel in this boy; something that really could not be explained. He had mastered Sage Mode almost effortlessly while Jiraiya had not. To be perfectly honest, Naruto had numerous accomplishments under his belt that many believed would be impossible for the blonde ninja. Never one to stray from surprising both friend and foe, it seemed that Naruto had been revived as well throughout this ordeal. Revived but never truly changed. All that had changed was the increase in his resolve to protect Konoha. To protect those who needed him. "I am glad I came here today…" she said quietly. "He would have been proud to see you like this, young Naruto… just like I am proud to see you."

Her words had surprised Naruto, causing him to look at her again, but she was already departing. "You're wrong, Shima-sensei. He wouldn't have been proud; he is proud." The elder frog turned to see his sympathetic smile before she faced ahead and returned to Myobokuzan.

Naruto gazed at where she had been for a moment before leaning forward and resting his elbows on his legs. His eyes closed before he grew completely silent and found himself waiting for the someone, he wasn't quite sure would come. All the while, he had begun to gather Sage Chakra, much like two of his clones continued to do in the hidden land, where he had first learned of the Sage Techniques.

Current Location: The Hokage's Office, Konohagakure no Sato

Current Time: Midday 12:05 p.m.

Tsunade was to say the least, far from pleased. Sitting in her desk, elbows propped upon her desk, and her chin resting on her entwined hands, she gazed with a rather annoyed look about her, at the three figures standing upon the opposite side of said desk. Since she had woken up this morning, the day had not been going well –at least not for her– and she had very little hope that it would make a u-turn and get any better. Of course with the three looming figures of Danzo, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane –otherwise known as the Council of Elders– how could she? An melodramatic moan of self-pity escaped her as she leaned back into her chair and turned her attention, solely to the one-eyed, wet noodle of a figure that was Danzo.

"So what have you brought us all here to discuss, today huh?"

Danzo stiffened slightly but otherwise made no inquiry at the stature of the woman before him. That being said however, it did not mean there was not enough anger coursing through his body as he inhaled slowly and turned his gaze towards the two beside him. "It is nothing, which should be unclear to you, Tsunade. As I have brought up before, a successor towards the title of Hokage must be chosen soon. I believe such a decision should be made and announced during tomorrow's ceremony."

Of course. Tsunade expected this to turn up at some point in the day; the plans for the ceremony tomorrow were completely in order so how else could the day turn into a shitty one, than by Danzo's hand. Her expression of annoyance did not change much, except at the slight uneasiness that was Danzo stiffening. He had been rather upset with her for a while now –more than usual at least– and she could only imagine that he was hoping she would have died, during Pain's Invasion. It certainly would have made things far easier for the blunt little tactician that he was, and it was made Tsunade rather pleased in the midst of this annoying quandary, that she could put a kink in the plans of the Elder.

Pushing back a slightly displaced lock of hair with her finger, she closed her eyes casually. "So, how shall this be taken care of, then? Who are your recommendations?"

It was more than amusing to watch the surprise appear on Danzo's face, even if it lasted for a fraction of a second. Of course he had not expected her to oblige to this little 'unnecessary quarrel' as she had declared it on a previous occasion. His composure regained, he looked over her, suspicion now growing as Koharu and Homura seemed rather pleased and relieved that Tsunade was finally consenting towards this idea. They were quite the fools when they wanted to be, yet Danzo knew that something was wrong with this situation… he simply did not know what that was yet and that's what made him begin to question whether this would be an productive meeting or not.

As much as he would have preferred to turn the question back around towards Tsunade, Danzo was robbed that privilege as Homura stepped forward; there was a seemingly odd sense of eagerness about him – perhaps due to Tsunade's _unusual_ acceptance – yet he turned and to glance at Danzo as he spoke, "it is our recommendation that Danzo be taken into consideration and eventually declared as heir to the Hokage throne, Tsunade." Turning to look back towards the _young _looking Hokage, Homura did not see the quick flash of anger, directed towards him.

Rather than respond immediately, Tsunade opened her eyes and stared at the trio for the moment. With such influence, she had expected Danzo to win these two over; they were a trio of militant based elders and altogether, they clashed against her in their ideals on what was best for Konoha. More than anything, that made the idea of Danzo becoming the Rokudaime Hokage something, she would not let come to pass. These three had considered Tsunade a novice in the role of Kage, but they had no idea just what damage could and would come to Konoha if Danzo got his wish. She had taken into consideration this moment for quite a while, yet it was increasingly difficult to find a suitable candidate within her eyes that would measure up to a high enough standard to sway the elders to side with her.

At one point, she had considered Hatake Kakashi; the Copy Ninja was more prominent than a great deal of Nin within the world and she would have been quite satisfied with his ability to lead Konoha. Yet since the Pain's assault, Kakashi had not been the same. He had survived the attack; even in his weakened and lifeless condition, a nail would not be the reason Kakashi left this world. He was however having considerable difficulty these past few months. It had taken him a total of four months to make what had previously been said was a 'full recovery' yet, it was merely a month later before the white haired Jōnin collapsed, racked with pain that could neither be explained or cured. He spoke various times of his Sharingan unwillingly bringing about unusual nightmares to his unconscious mind in his sleep; as if being attacked repeatedly by Tsukuyomi. Mentally and physically, Kakashi was inept to lead and Tsunade would not dare put any more strain than he already had. All she had been able to do was keep watch over him; a procedural healing and check-up every few hours or so to see whether signs of symptoms had turned up was all that could be mustered and he did not ask for anything else. He was tough; she understood that well, but she could not help but grow stressed over this ailment that consumed him.

Turning her mind from the events that brought an unusual ache to her chest, she resumed her process of thought as the three elders stared at her quizzically. "You know, it's impolite to stare. Give me a minute to take things into consideration, will ya?" Turning in her chair, she stood up and glanced out the window of her office, taking in the beautiful sight that was once again 'rising from the ashes' so to say. It would have been uncharacteristic of her not to grin at the hard work being put into bringing Konoha back to its full glory and in turn, her gaze shifted upwards towards the Hokage Monument. Seeing the five carvings of the past to present Hokages made Tsunade feel a lot older than she looked and wished she was. It was a tragedy that releasing her seal all those years ago had brought about a more wearied and slightly disheveled look, but she did not regret for one second, the reward that had come with it. This village… these people… they were her life and not one of them should have died in the first place. Her eyes stayed upon her own face within the monument before taking notice of something different. Blinking and shaking her head faintly, she looked at the monument once more before noticing the unusual bit of color upon her stone face.

It took her a moment, mainly out of disbelief but she quickly smirked as she laughed to herself and turned her head back to look at the still waiting elders. She couldn't believe it had taken her this long, but really, her solution to this problem, had just been right in front of her… something she was particularly glad for and upset about at the same time. "I've made my decision. Unfortunately enough, I do not agree with the decision to allow Danzo to be my successor. While I have no problem worthy of mention towards consideration, I am recommending my own candidate as Uzumaki Naruto."

"I won't allow that," Danzo forced out angrily. Koharu and Homura both glanced at each other, as a state of uneasiness washed over them.

Tsunade arched an eyebrow under his protest, before smiling. "I'm afraid that's not an acceptable response."

Danzo furrowed his brows. "And why is that?"

"Naruto is considerably the best candidate for Hokage, if you really wish to know. Your prejudice against him simply because he is the container of the Nine Tailed Fox is all that prevents you from admitting such. I've dealt with that in the past, but this is not a matter for your childish excuses." A short breath was taken yet she continued before Danzo could retaliate, "I see no reason supplied that is decent enough to reject this decision, unless you have the resources to prove somehow that Naruto is incapable or traitorous to Konoha."

"This type of requisition cannot be allowed, Tsunade. He is too dangerous and unpredict–"

"It has been seventeen years now since the Fourth Hokage sealed the beast within Naruto. He has shown ample control over such, especially during the Invasion, you happened to be conveniently absent from."

That retort stunned Danzo in place as she leaned against her desk and turned towards the other two elders. "The village needs a Hokage that they can look up to; one that they can believe in and trust. Not one that hides in the shadows with his soldiers while the village is practically destroyed. There wouldn't even be a village for you to be trying to fight for control of if not for Naruto, so how can you not grant him this opportunity?" There was nothing but an attempt at finding the right words between the two as Tsunade slammed her fist down on the desk. "How long do you plan to keep this boy from his destiny?! Look at him and look how closely he resembles that from who he came from not simply in looks but in action. He is the shadow of his father and if you look at him as the rest of this village does, you'll see that given the chance, he can eclipse his father like he has done with Jiraiya."

Tsunade sighed, before turning her chair around and falling back into it. She had made her case and had made it while Danzo was powerless to stop her. Perhaps if he had cut her off before she had gotten going, he would have had a chance but he was too slow and Tsunade had played this through her mind, the moment she saw Naruto watching over the village. She was almost a bit surprised now that she recounted her words; it flowed effortlessly as if these three before her should have known this all to begin with. She did not want to think about the collective voices muttering across from her; Danzo's grunts had joined the fray and it was obvious with a hiss here and there that there was now chaos within the three's ranks.

It was at the slight movement in her peripheral vision that Tsunade's head rose to see Danzo leaving the room. She displayed no open emotion to that, instead turning her gaze upon Koharu who seemed slightly hesitant to inform her of the news, she knew was coming. "It has been taken under consideration and… Uzumaki Naruto will also be announced as a recommendation to the title of Hokage. The rest of the elders will meet and speak on this decision and decide what is to be done. In the meantime, we wish you to consider ideas for how best to approach this situation, should the Council not be able to come to a clear decision, Tsunade."

Nodding her head solemnly, the two elders departed leaving Tsunade smiling and content that the day had actually done just what she had wished for. The U-turn was now in play as she found herself with one more task to be done. Grabbing the Hokage's Robe from the back of her chair, she glanced at the figure still atop the monument and shook her head before vanishing from the office.

Current Location: Hokage Monument

Current Time: Midday 12:45 p.m.

Naruto was waiting for Tsunade when she had finally made her way to the top of the monument; a slight smile spread across his lips as his Sage Mode faded away and his natural blue eyes stared up towards the looming figure that now hovered above him. Nothing broke the ensuing silence between the two as their staring contest of sorts continued. It was an unusual moment, but Naruto could somewhat sense something coming towards him; oddly enough, he felt himself worrying for pain and also for something big to be thrown at him. He couldn't say he was particularly undeserving of the pain, but the latter… he really did not see what news there was to actually bring the Hokage up here. Was yelling at him for defacing the Hokage Monument really that important? Or was she simply upset that he had chosen her carved head, to sit upon.

With a heavy sigh, Tsunade consented towards the latter of Naruto's assumptions, falling into a seated position beside the blonde ninja. All sign of seriousness had faded immediately as she grinned and leaned back, examining the sky that loomed overhead. "You know, I thought for sure this day would turn out to be complete crap. As it turns out however, you've proven to be a great deal of help and all you had to do was deface my monument."

There was more than a hint of humor in her voice, but Naruto preferred to play towards the side that was pleased with him. Letting his smile grow, he simply shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "It's a talent I'm rather proud of. Just so I know though, what did I do to save you from a day of despair?"

There was a simple shrug before Tsunade glanced at him as though he was nothing of true interest. She didn't want for him to have too much enjoyment from this to be honest; she was still going to beat him to a pulp for using her monument as his sitting grounds, but that could wait, she supposed. And considering the many thoughts going through her mind… it would not have to be put off for long. "Didn't do much really. You're just here and it got me thinking. I was already annoyed and getting a headache, so you know I didn't really want to in the first place. You kind of made that easier though and the end result was a bit more than I would have hoped for."

Naruto blinked, pretending to follow along as he nodded and looked at her as though what she was saying was vitally important. "Wow, to get you thinking during a headache… that's a feat worthy of a Kage. I hope they'll take that into consideration when my time comes to take that role over." He laughed even as he felt her flick him in the forehead; through that pain which sent him tumbling over, he laughed and rolled back into his previous position, to see Tsunade standing. Was their conversation over so soon? He really was confused now as he stared up at her, expectantly.

Noticing the look on his face, she simply beckoned for him to follow as she began to depart. "It's funny you should say that actually. I did take that into consideration as I recommended you to be my successor."

He was already beginning to stand, when her words struck him. For a moment, he could not move as he remained hunched over and seemingly paralyzed. Not hearing his footsteps behind her, Tsunade turned to look at him, with a stare of mild entertainment. She hadn't considered his response to be so… quiet. It was actually a bit of a shame, the world didn't already know as she shook her head and continued walking.

"What… did you say?" His voice was almost like a whisper as he had finally managed to revert to a full vertical position. Yet still as stiff as a statue, he watched her… waiting for any signs of her mocking tone or her laughter to indicate he had misheard or that she was joking. Nothing came though as she continued walking, the Hokage's robes flapping in the wind. His eyes had become transfixed on the flames of her robe as he slowly began to follow her. "Hey… hey granny, what the hell did you just say!" He blinked, growing frustrated as her pace did not lessen… in fact it seemed as though she had sped up, just to get on his nerves, which was at this point in time, working. "Damn it, stop joking with me." He had stopped and he felt himself growing genuinely angry as he stared daggers at her. It wasn't very Naruto-like but this was something he could not… did not wish to joke about. It was something that could not be toyed with; anything but his dream.

Tsunade seemingly sensed this, for she turned and rolled her eyes at his foolhardy expression. "Geez, maybe you haven't grown up. You know, you're going to need to work on that if you're going to be Hokage, Naruto. I don't want a pathetic kid taking over my position and tarnishing my name." She had left him to ponder those words as she vanished from sight as a rustle of leaves replaced her.

The anger that had coursed through the blonde ninja just seconds ago had vanished in that instant, as his mouth fell open. He could hardly believe it, but it was happening. It was… actually happening to him. What he had wanted for so long; what he had swore he would someday achieve was actually closing in. He could hardly contain himself to the loud cheer of excitement that suddenly escaped from his parted lips as he leapt into the air, fist clenched. There would be no doubt that the village would hear him, yet he didn't care. Tsunade had not stressed any point in keeping this a secret and even if she did, how could Naruto contain his cheers as he suddenly leapt from the top of the Hokage Monument and plunged himself into the forest below. His voice growing louder and louder as he released the happiness he did not know he had possessed.

"UZUMAKI NARUTO WILL BE THE NEXT HOKAGE!!?"

As she walked through the streets of the village, hands in her pockets, Tsunade could not help but grin stupidly as the many hands that had suddenly been at work, all turned to watch her, while ears listened to the proclamation now filling the Land of Fire. It would be a surprise if the world did not know by the end of the week. Uzumaki Naruto was now a candidate to become the Rokudaime Hokage.

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:: Author's Note :: Well I'm happy to say the Second Chapter is up and I feel as though a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Hehe, I've never been all that good at portraying Naruto (on the few occasions, that I did) and it was rather unusual portraying his happiness at Tsunade's news. That probably sounds a bit unusual, but characters like Naruto have always been something difficult. If it seemed out of character, than I'd love to have your opinion on it. I must have redone the ending several times before settling upon this.

Anyways, I thought it would be good to show Konoha returning towards its former glory… or rather rising above such as changes are certainly going to follow. I had foreseeable problems with writing this chapter now, but considering that I'm taking the story in Arcs and this first Arc is the 'Rise of Nations', I thought it might be nice to give a little insight to an important nation to be. This story is still however focusing on Sasuke and so it will be a while before the Ceremony in Konoha returns for your reading pleasure. (3 or 4 chapters to be exact)

I'm hoping you all won't hate me for that little jumping fiasco, but I didn't want to focus on too many chapters with politics. Yes indeed, there will be fighting in the next chapter… the next few chapters. Sasuke's going to have a lot on his hands and if hints in the first chapter haven't indicated, the search will certainly be over. Anyways, enough trying to spoil, I don't like it, so stay tune and don't hesitate to leave comments on how to better the story. I need it. ^^


	3. Thunder and Lightning

Disclaimer: As usual, I do not own any part of Naruto nor do I own Masashi Kishimoto.

It would be awesome if I did though ~

* * *

_Naruto: Endless Requital_

_Chapitre Three:__ Thunder and Lightning_

_Written by: Lost Anthology_

Sasuke stood at the edge of the cliff, watching as night befell him and covered the world. In front of him was a different scene; a different picture from only yesterday when he stood in this very spot. He sighed, slightly annoyed at himself as he allowed his fingers to brush against one of his eyes. The effects of his Mangekyo Sharingan were certainly playing their part if this was to be a symbol of bad things to come.

It was not something he was particularly proud of either, yet he had chosen this path and he would follow through with it. Rejecting the idea of stealing his brother's eyes and gaining the full potential of his Sharingan, he now stood, steadily growing blinder each time he utilized their power.

Perhaps it would have been in his best interest to simply rely on other senses; becoming blind didn't necessarily mean that he would be incapable of the same feats, he accomplished to this day. The idea had presented itself even before this problem arose, while in Orochimaru's 'care' and he had taken some advantage over it. 'Some' was the key word however, and at the present, he did not have any more time to spend upon even troubling himself with the thought.

He had known he was being unreasonable to take this route. Sasuke had accepted the fact that he would slowly but surely lose his eyesight, but he had not expected it to take effect so quickly. A year to this day it was, since he had first come to realize his eyes were failing him and though he could make out the silhouette of others easily enough, there had been a growing concern within his small team and Akatsuki.

It had taken his team months perhaps, but they had figured out soon enough about Sasuke's growing problem, and they had taken it upon themselves to aide him through this. Annoying and pestering as they were, Sasuke could not fault them for the time they spent enhancing his capabilities. Sasuke had always been something of tactical when it came to strategy and engaging the opponent; he would need to change though to accommodate his handicap and as it stood, his blindness was near that of his brother's level. Suigetsu and Jugo had spent their time 'assaulting' Sasuke in numerous situations, which were seemingly beyond their level of producing. A genius was not needed to deduce that Madara was putting his own effort towards Sasuke's condition. Of course it was not for his benefit, Sasuke knew; Madara knew Sasuke would be of great use and Sasuke obliged to allow their efforts to continue, only because it would prove to be valuable in the future. It did not matter what reasons Akatsuki's leader held as long as it did not interfere with Sasuke's own desires and plans.

Sasuke's eyes opened slightly, realizing at that moment, that he was not alone. His passive features strayed slightly into a small frown before returning to normal, and not finding any need to put off this matter any longer, he turned to face the individual standing behind him.

"Deep in thought, are we Sasuke?"

"Do you always feel the need to concern yourself with me?" It was rather simple for Sasuke to find himself not in the least interested at any bit of idle talk, when it could be avoided. His own problems slowly dissipating from his thoughts as he stared into the eyes of Uchiha Madara; he watched his ancestor with an empty and calculating blank stare.

A cloud passed across Madara's facial features, even if for a second before a small smile replaced it. Sasuke was always quite the interesting individual. And now he was so much like his brother, it was rather nerve-racking. "Considering your condition, I'm afraid so. You did bring this upon yourself, anyways, if I remember correctly."

For reasons Sasuke could not understand –or perhaps it was simply impulse– he turned and begun walking. He was hardly in the mood to be reminded of what was considered 'a mistake' and if there was really no point to the visit, then Sasuke had no reason to be around Madara at the moment. The long dark cloak of Akatsuki trailing after the young Uchiha as he passed his ancestor, he stopped almost immediately as he felt his hand close tightly into a fist. "What has changed to force you to come here?"

There was no hint of movement from Madara as Sasuke's words reached him. For a moment, the two remained motionless as the wind picked up slightly, forcing their cloaks to sway slightly under its gentle guidance. "Your idea was flawless if I remember. What would force you to think that something has changed that?" It was unusual, the way his voice had changed instantly from the calm, almost cheerful voice that reflected his persona, Tobi, towards the true nature of the man in Sasuke's presence. Though there were still hints and traces of those emotions, Madara had actually grown quite curious towards Sasuke's inquiry.

"You wouldn't have a reason to be here, unless there was an unforeseeable addition towards the idea… which was yours." Sasuke turned his head back slightly; his cold stare focused on the back of Madara's head. "Do not rest the fault with me, because of a miscalculation. Tell me and I'll modify and continue as such."

A slight laugh was heard as Madara's head tilted back to allow him vision of the sky, now filled with stars. "Do not be so hasty. It was not unforeseeable… it's simply not what we would have wanted if you were to handle this alone." A moment passed and when Sasuke did not respond, Madara smiled faintly and continued. "He will need to be dealt with quickly after all, it seems."

Closing his eyes, Sasuke turned away from the figurehead and allowed himself to be taken in by that statement. "Quickly or not, the end result will be failure and you know that. What will need to change to ensure that Akatsuki succeeds in this plan?"

"You already know one option that could do such, Sasuke. The other would focus solely on me."

"It's pointless then, for this to continue. You already know what my answer shall be, so we will continue as we originally were."

At that moment, it felt as though something else would come from Madara; that he wouldn't simply accept this idea and that something else would need to be done. However, Sasuke understood and knew more than he was willing to say. Whether or not Madara chose to accept this or not, Sasuke understood the situation and weight that was upon his shoulders. Even if he chose not to aid the young Uchiha, Sasuke would complete the task set before him. It was not arrogance that determined this for him, or at least he would not call it such. And whatever others chose to see it as, all that this task was was nothing more than an obstacle that attempted to rob him of the only thing that mattered.

"There will come a time where you will have no choice but to take them, Sasuke. You cannot avoid this, no matter what you believe."

A small smirk appeared as Sasuke lowered his head and began his pace of walk once again. "I don't need to become you, to surpass you."

With that said, Sasuke vanished leaving the wizened Madara to stare off alone. Amusing words as they were, they also stole Madara's attention as he walked forward and sat himself at the edge of the cliff. Things were going rather nicely it seemed. Just as Sasuke knew help would not be required, so did Madara. Yet in the interest of fairness and simply because Madara would not allow anything to potentially go wrong, he would become a part of the plan, so wisely devised. No concern was visible on his face; why should there have been when, one such as Sasuke was leading? There was no one better suited for this; he believed… an amused smile spread as he watched a number of dark clouds spread across the night sky.

"Dawn shall rise despite the weary storm ahead…"

Current Location: Unknown

Current Time: Unknown

Sasuke's arrival turned the glances of the few who sat alone in the Akatsuki Hideout. For a moment, nothing was said as he walked forward and sat himself at a distance from the four individuals whose gaze still pierced him. He knew he was keeping them in wait but it did not bother him much as he closed his eyes and allowed his head to lean back and rest against the wall. "Nothing has changed. We'll continue as planned."

There was a laugh that brought one of Sasuke's eyes open. He was not surprised to find it emanate from Kisame. A sigh escaped before his eyes closed again, unconcerned as the shark-like swordsman grew quiet after a few minutes.

While Sasuke may have not felt the need to be startled by the sudden outburst, the same could not be said for the rest of his team… Karin in particular. "What the hell is so funny, that you need to laugh like a freakin psychopath?"

Kisame shrugged before smirking. "Sorry if I take amusement in the fact that little Sasuke wants to continue, knowing very well that the Eight Tailed Beast will attempt to stop him. If I remember correctly, you four didn't do such a hot job, taking care of him the first time, right?" He turned his gaze from the redhead to Sasuke, before approaching him. "What's changed in this year that makes you think you can accomplish your original mission and capture the Eight Tails at the same time, Sasuke?"

Noticing the close proximity of the Akatsuki member now, Sasuke opened both eyes before, just as quickly, turning his gaze away from Kisame. "It's not my concern. He's going to do it."

The smirk vanished almost immediately from Kisame's face as he stared down at Sasuke. He wasn't the only one shocked by the words as Suigetsu stepped forward. "What the hell are you talking about? Since when did he decide to grow a set and step out onto the battlefield?"

Before any response could be given, the appearance of two large Venus fly trap-like extensions rose from the ground. Eyes fell upon the figure as his body came into full view and after a moment, the extensions opened to reveal the head the monochrome face of Zetsu. The left side being completely white while the right side shown black; Sasuke turned his glance upon the plant-like figure. Noticing the close proximity of Sasuke and Kisame, the left side grinned mischievously before a cackle rose from his throat. His right side, not all that amused, quickly silenced his counterpart before looking on at the two. "What has happened?"

Sasuke, shrugging idly pushed himself up to his feet. "The change has forced him to take the matter into his own hands." Bypassing the startled looks from both sides, Sasuke stepped forward, walking past Kisame to focus his attention fully on Zetsu. "Is everything as we expected it to be?"

The white half, shrugging idly received a general look of annoyance from his darker half before addressing Sasuke. "The initial phase went as you wanted. If we're to go through and succeed, you'll have to strike now."

Nodding, Sasuke turned back towards the four individuals. "We strike now." A general look of amusement and excitement spread over Suigetsu and Kisame as both gripped the hilts of their swords. While Karin looked slightly stressed at the idea, Jugo was the only one whose face remained emotionless as his eyes fell on Sasuke. Nevertheless, there was unison between the six Akatsuki members that stood in the hideout before their presence faded from the area.

Current Location: Gates of Kumogakure no Sato

Current Time: Early Morning

The Raikage had not been the only individual to notice the unusual change in weather. The Kumogakure Nin had all become tense as the dark clouds loomed overhead and around them; something was wrong, yet even as watch and guard tightened and was enforced, nothing loomed out in the area surrounding the village. They had been prepared for a sudden attack since the thunder rang throughout the village and mountains, yet all that had lashed out was the occasional strike of lightning. If not for their expertise in lightning-based jutsu, then perhaps the Village Hidden in the Clouds might have reason to fear the storm. There was far more to this though, whether they could explain it or not and despite the hours that had ticked by, they were no less subtle in their approach to the situation.

At the gates, the situation was even more ferocious than near the Raikage's building. Perhaps that was because the Raikage had Team Samui watching around the base of the towering structure, yet if an attack was to even come, it would need to break way through the gates to begin with. The switch of guards had occurred every two hours with ten guards on either side of the gates; silence had ensued for many of those hours but the situation was beginning to call for some form of life that did not simply involve the beating of hearts or the thunder above.

"What do you expect is the cause of this?" One Jōnin called out. There was the turn of heads as both Nin on either side of him, glanced at him as though relieved, the silence was broken.

"The Raikage says it's not a natural storm, but what I don't understand is why he has not disposed of it," one said.

"It'd be stupid for the Raikage to simply get rid of it, when the entire village could put it to use against whatever plans on attacking. Don't know who or what the hell did it, but they obviously don't know who they're dealing with if they think a little storm will bother us."

The three men laughed lightly in agreement as the words began to be passed down through the line of Nin. Almost all had found it funny, except one. A masked Kumogakure Nin stepped forward, before turning and looking at the rest of the Ninja. "If you're all foolish enough to believe, this was done by accident, then you shouldn't be out on this line. This is Kumogakure no Sato and if you believe that someone doesn't know that before casting this storm, then you should be sent back to the Academy." The laughter had stopped immediately as heads turned to look at the ANBU member.

"No one would be foolish enough to do something unless they had a plan to utilize it themselves. It'd be safer to assume that the storm will do us absolutely no good in what lies ahead."

There was sense to it, yet no one wanted those words to be true. It would be all too inconvenient if this storm was not something the Raikage or themselves for that matter could use. The entirety of the situation was enshrouded in mystery, impossible for any to understand.

Thunder roared to life as the Kumogakure line looked up towards the sky. There was a difference in sound though; the thunder had ceased but there was a roar still continuing that was faint at first. It grew though with every second and as heads began to turn away from the sky, eyes widened at the looming wave rising above them. Shock overtook them; not enough time to form the appropriate hand signs as the wave slammed down upon the entire line outside the gate.

A loud laugh roared just as loudly as the slamming of water into the wall of Kumogakure and delight grew at the sound of screams that were easily drowned as water filled the lungs of those before him. Hoshigaki Kisame walked through the puddles of water, Samehada upon his shoulders. His smile fell a fraction as his free hand beckoned forth. "Damn shame, they couldn't stay alive long enough to be decapitated."

At the hand signal, three figures launched forward, before leaping over the gate and into the second line of defense. Few screams were audible as Jugo and Suigetsu attacked, while Karin continued forward. Turning a head back towards the two, she yelled out at them; "Don't kill when it can be avoided you idiot."

While he heard Karin's foolish words, Suigetsu didn't let them register as his arm reformed and plunged itself into the stomach of one of the Nin. Knowing already that he was unconscious did not halt his efforts as he grabbed hold of the Kumo Nin's vest and hurled him towards an oncoming Jōnin. Taking hold of the large sword –once wielded by Momochi Zabuza– in his strengthened arm, Suigetsu smirked as he charged at another Nin. "This is fucking pathetic. Did that damn Eight Tails really come from here?"

Jugo did not seem to take as much enjoyment out of this as Suigetsu and Kisame were seemingly doing. His rage under control ensued that he was following the words that Karin had yelled out –mainly towards Suigetsu– but it did not change the slight struggle that was being made to remain as such. His emotionless face watched the oncoming attacks from Jōnin and ANBU and he wasted no effort in activating the second level of his Cursed Seal. His arm changing and growing, he stepped back, avoiding impalement before striking the ground with the ram-like fist.

The ground broke almost instantly and sent the group of four into the air. Not allowing hesitation to overcome him, a surge of chakra broke through the billowing smoke as Jugo charged towards one. Wrapping his fingers around one's neck, he incapacitated him, with a simple blow, before noticing the change in direction from the other three. Hand signs followed and seeing the surge of lightning surround the three, Jugo threw the destroyed male with shocking force, before propelling himself back towards the ground with another push of chakra.

His aim was not off either as his 'weapon' crashed into one of the last Jōnin, rendering him unconscious immediately. And leaving no room for error, were two quick decapitations as Suigetsu and Kisame plowed through the last two guards, leaving nothing but the glimmer of lightning remaining as all four Kumogakure Nin fell to the ground in a pile.

Landing beside Jugo as he reverted to his normal form, Suigetsu shook his head before looking in the direction of the Raikage's building. "You're way too damn soft, Jugo. Sasuke needs to let you off your leash."

Not finding the words to respond, Kisame shook his head and began walking. "Still so many to fight; keep going."

With a bark of laughter in response, Suigetsu followed as well as Jugo as the three proceeded deeper into Kumogakure. Just as they proceeded into the shadows of buildings, lightning struck the gate, sending a riveting explosion through the entirety of the mountains. Fire had begun to rise as the heat and smoke triggered the fall of rain. If the Village had not been in pandemonium before their massacre, it was now.

Current Location: Raikage's Building, Kumogakure no Sato

Current Time: Early Morning

The explosion had easily reached the Raikage's ears as he stared out at the fire looming in the distance. Anger rose as his teeth clenched together tight and not being able to restrain himself, his fist lashed out against the window of his office, shattering it entirely. As if on cue, wind and rain blew in to overtake him as he stood there, shaking though not from the cold. Blood had begun to drip from his tightened fist, but he either did not notice it, or simply did not care.

His eyes wandered through the dark sky before lowering towards his village. While he was not sure, he found himself knowing what the cause of this was as soon as his eyes picked out the wave of water crashing down upon his gates. "Akatsuki…" His voice coming out as nothing more than a feral growl as a grim smirk appeared. It was not as he would have wished, but he was getting what he desired. He would destroy Akatsuki now and they would then lead him to Uchiha Sasuke. The deaths of his people… his Ninja would not be in vain as his hand rose to remove the Kage's hat from his head.

His hand stopped though, almost immediately as a ragged breath escaped him. In that quick second, his eyes lowered slightly to see a blade protruding from his chest. Coughing, he felt the taste of blood on his tongue as it flowed from his mouth and down his chin before he staggered backwards against his desk. What had happened? His eyes had never lingered from the view, his windowless office granted him, so why had he not seen this blade appear and strike him?

It was then that everything shattered before him like the glass only minutes ago. Blinking and staggering backwards, the Raikage pressed his hand against his chest, right above his heart. Nothing… no sword, no blood, nothing. His eyes widened as he looked down at the white garb that he was dressed in. His eyes closed briefly before finding his back against the wall and suddenly, they flew open as he stepped forward suddenly aware, but a moment too late.

The blade did not pierce his heart, but on the opposite side and the Raikage gasped as he felt himself plunged against his wall. His eyes clenched shut for a moment as he did not allow any sign of weakness pass through his mouth. Opening his eyes slowly, he glared at the figure of Uchiha Sasuke, who stood at makeshift window entrance, created by the Raikage. Sasuke's onyx eyes glanced over the Kage before proceeding forward until his hand fell upon the hilt of his Kusanagi.

"You have been waiting for this, for a year now? Do you hold enough hatred to kill me?"

The impaled Raikage said nothing for a moment before a small sinister smile spread across his face. The figure dissipated in a surge of lightning and while the stab of electricity might have harmed another Nin, it hardly registered as Sasuke's head turned away from the empty space to take in the sight of the Raikage –standing before his desk– , whose rage was easily visible. Removing the blade from the wall, Sasuke sheathed it before turning fully to face his opponent. Overhead, thunder and lightning raged on as the storm truly began.

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:: Author's Note :: Well, this certainly was one difficult chapter for me to write. Mainly the dialogue was where I held the most problems, but it was also a bit difficult effectively writing out the scenes where the battles began. The idea for this chapter looked and seemed so much better in my head, when I imagined the whole thing taking place, but hopefully, you all like it. I'm not sure if any can tell yet since I'm not sure how obvious I've made the flow of the story, though I hope things have become more interesting than the last two chapters. I realize most readers aren't fans of all the dialogue and so I trimmed this chapter down and explained what was necessary for the attack on Kumogakure to begin.

The true battles are going to begin in the next chapter, where it won't only focus on Sasuke versus the Raikage, but also Team Samui versus Akatsuki/Team Hawk. I hope you'll bear with me that I have absolutely no idea what jutsus the Team Samui/Raikage are aware of and so I might use my (limited) Japanese knowledge to make some up or go with whatever I can find on sites. What I'll mainly be going for is making them exciting enough though and hopefully, they'll be decent enough for you all to enjoy. While I usually come out with a Chapitre a week, this next one will take some time. A close friend of mine has been diagnosed with cancer and so I'm rather surprised I had the focus to complete this one.

Hopefully you all understand and will be okay with waiting a week or two extra for the fights to continue. Also if any have any ideas on how the fights should progress, then feel free to leave to tell me. I'm interested in what you all want to see, so don't be strangers. Fill up my inbox or leave a review if you wish.

Until next time ~


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